The lid was surprisingly light. Though it felt cold like metal, it weighed far less.
Inside the box lay a spherical, pendant-shaped device. Its surface was crisscrossed with chaotic yet razor-straight twisted lines—fine, dense cracks intersecting across it, making the device look as if it could fall apart at any moment.
Arthur recalled the information Daino had sent him. At least on the surface, nothing seemed off.
Would the Animals lie?
Unlikely.
"Micro-gene editing needle, no doubt. But this thing's used to create artificial humans. It should've been outlawed under international law long ago."
The voice was Jackie's—he always seemed to know a bit of everything.
Arthur shrugged, pressing the lid down again before closing the box.
He had little respect for the law. That came from how he'd grown up.
"That clever Corpo who likes pulling strings from the shadows... Wonder if he ever thought his little secret would end up in the hands of us lackeys so quickly."
Dusting off his hands, Arthur turned.
They needed to move the goods fast. Since this thing was critical, that cunning Corpo employee would definitely keep scheming.
...
Meanwhile, in a luxury apartment in the City Center.
The floor-to-ceiling windows were tightly covered by curtains, but the lights inside burned bright, illuminating every corner.
"Damn it, is this how your Fixers work?
And you, bastard, do you even know what happens when you cross the company?"
A shrill voice blared through the comms. Daino, lounging on the sofa, remained expressionless.
He ran a hand through his stiff hair, his face calm, his voice smooth as always.
"I laid down the rules. You broke the contract first... Besides, all I did was cut off your end of the deal."
In his hands, he idly strummed a finely crafted electric guitar. Once, he'd been a rock star—and his name still carried weight.
"Useless! You really want me to spell it out?
You, and those lackeys you brought in—you're all worthless!
Just wait, you'll pay for this!"
The shrill voice kept ranting, but Daino didn't flinch, waiting calmly until the line went dead.
That guy was in deep trouble. Would he retaliate? Daino didn't know.
But—he wasn't someone to underestimate.
He placed another call.
"Hello? Daino here. Hope I'm not bothering you."
There was silence for a few seconds, then a crisp, icy female voice answered.
"You know I hate small talk.
What do you want?
If you're asking for help, that'll cost you a favor."
Not far away, inside the Militech tower, a mid-level office sprawled across half a floor.
The space was a mess—tangled wires, terminals of all sizes scattered about, empty bottles, cigarette butts, even women's lingerie tossed carelessly on the floor.
Only the desk by the window looked remotely organized. A tall figure sat there, back to the door, cigarette smoldering between her fingers.
Outside, dusk hadn't fully set, but the plaza's holograms were already blazing to life, fighting with the last scraps of daylight.
"I rarely ask for help—and this time's no exception.
I just heard you've run into a bit of trouble. That black friend of yours, Kool.
Seems things have gotten pretty heated lately."
Hearing the words, the woman flicked her cigarette.
"That effeminate piece of shit? He thinks he can stand against me?
If he really crosses me, I'll crush that bastard."
Her tone might've sounded casual, but the fury behind it was impossible to miss.
"Ha... I don't know the inside details like you do, so I won't pry.
But keeping friends in high places—that's how small fry like us survive, right?"
As he spoke, Daino's hand drifted from the guitar. A rare smile touched his usually calm face.
"A company friend asked me for help recently, but he broke my rules.
So we fell out. Things have gotten... unpleasant.
Interested in hearing more?"
The woman straightened in her chair, clearly intrigued.
That troubled 'friend' was clearly the pest that had been buzzing around her.
"Don't string me along, you bastard..."
She chuckled softly.
"Here's the deal: our mutual friend lost something important.
Not a small mistake.
He came to me, wanting it recovered quietly.
It must be urgent—he even turned to the Voodoo Boys. Shows he's way out of his depth dealing with those Haitian scum."
She stubbed the burning cigarette out on the desk. Daino hadn't said much, but she'd already pieced things together.
If he'd gone to the Voodoo Boys, it meant he'd fallen right into the hands of their enemies.
The Voodoo Boys had a nasty reputation, sure—but they were clever. Strong, too. And they never picked fights with forces that could actually hurt them.
The only gang they consistently clashed with was the Animals, those brainless muscleheads.
"So the Animals stole his gear? What do you want me to do—go take it back?"
Her voice turned icy. That was her working mode.
"See, one situation can have plenty of outcomes. We just pick the one that favors us, right?
If you step in now, sure—you'd solve it fastest.
But at best, it's just covering up a colleague's mistake. Not much payoff.
On the other hand, if he keeps failing to fix it himself, things will spiral. His problems will only get worse.
And then—when you step in, it'll look a lot better, won't it?"
"You sound awfully confident. You really trust your people that much?"
She crushed out her cigarette, grabbed her glass of wine, and took a sip.
Her long golden hair swept back, catching the light as it flared around her shoulders.
"Of course. These folks made a name for themselves in no time—they've got skills.
And I'll use my own ways to make sure they succeed.
There's no real risk in this, so yeah—it's a good deal."
"Fine! We'll do it your way. I'll start prepping right away.
Now that I know, Kool doesn't have much time left."
Her words rang with certainty.
If that damn sissy didn't have powerful backing, he'd already be rotting at the bottom of the sea.